Philanthropic Portfolio
At the Emergency Medicine Symposium, we believe that knowledge has the power to heal—but compassion takes it further. What began as a gathering of like-minded clinicians has grown into something greater: a movement that marries academic excellence with purpose. Beyond sharing evidence and expertise, we’re committed to creating tangible change in the real world.
Our philanthropic portfolio reflects a deep-rooted belief in grassroots investment—supporting communities from the ground up with dignity, sustainability, and respect. We are constantly on the lookout for partners who align with our values, who understand that empowering others is not about charity—it’s about trust, shared purpose, and walking alongside those we hope to uplift. For our faculty and delegates, giving back isn’t a gesture. It’s part of the mission.
“If you give a man a piece of land without making him a landowner in his heart, you have given him nothing. Development is not in things, but in people.”
This philosophy echoes deeply with the vision of the Emergency Medicine Symposium. Our approach to philanthropy goes beyond charity—it is about investing in the dignity, skills, and aspirations of individuals. We believe that real progress takes root when people are empowered to shape their own future, not when aid is simply delivered from the outside. It is this belief in grassroots development—where ownership, knowledge, and community resilience grow from within—that guides our commitment to finding and working alongside partners who share this purpose.
Emergency Medicine Symposium 2025
Cebu | Philipines
Donated
AUD $61 500
to Palmera
Emergency Medicine Symposium 2024
Koh Samui | Thailand
Donated
AUD $102 000
to Palmera
Emergency Medicine Symposium 2023
Langkawi | Malaysia
Donated
AUD $25 584
to Palmara
Palmera – Village Empowerment
This year we will continue to support Palmera, who will be directing our funds to a project in a small village in Sri Lanka called Puthukudiyiruppu. Your support helps them rebuild, not alone, but together. Through Women Empowerment Collectives, women begin to save, strengthen their financial literacy, and access revolving loans that free them from predatory lenders and the debt trap. They start businesses, re-enter economic life, and, most importantly, rebuild the social bonds torn apart by displacement and war.
This is more than income. It is dignity restored, community rekindled, and the power of women leading change toward a stable and prosperous future.
Palmera is an Australian charity that began in 2014. Their work touches the lives of tens of thousands of people across Sri Lanka every year. Palmera is a member of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) which is the highest level of certification by DFAT reflecting their commitment to stringent governance and transparency.
Inland Fishing Project – Vanni Hope.
By educating and equipping communities for sustainable aquaculture, this project is transforming communities across Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province. Conducted in partnership with the National Aquaculture Development Authority (NAQDA), this initiative strengthens economic stability by supporting local fishermen with resources and hands-on training for freshwater fishing in the regions beautiful lakes and lagoons. Vanni Hope provided fish fingerlings, fishing nets, and other essential equipment. This enables fishermen to dramatically increase their catch and turn what was once a struggling livelihood into a stable and thriving source of income.
Vanni Hope is an Australian charity that began work in 2016 in the Vanni region of Sri Lanka but today runs projects throughout the whole country supporting all the communities of Sri Lanka. They work with local partners and stake holders to develop community-driven approaches centred on long-term solutions that foster self-reliance and growth while acknowledging each community’s unique needs.
Community Based Tourism – Action on Poverty
In Vietnam, 86 percent of those living below the poverty line are ethnic minorities, many of whom live in rural areas with difficult access to employment, education, and public services. Since 2014 Action on Poverty has run a program in rural Vietnamese villages called Community Based Tourism (CBT). Their Village Stay model is an example of inclusive tourism that delivers direct, positive impact to the whole community in vulnerable rural areas and has won the ASEAN Community-based Tourism Award in 2019. This project leads to economic empowerment of these villages through higher income generation, this in turn leads to cultural preservation and environmental protection because it is rewarded and positively reinforced through more tourism and better incomes as a result. Funds from tourism projects have been invested back into community projects such as road upgrades, clean water systems and learning centres.
Maybe you will consider a village stay during your next visit to Vietnam?
Action on Poverty(AOP) is an Australian charity working in 16 countries across Asia, Pacific and Africa since 1968. In 2023/24 their projects reached 90 000 people. AOP has been working in Vietnam for many years on both CBT as well other projects such as World Mosquito Program. AOP is fully accredited with the Australian government and signatory to ACFID.
Disclaimer – Our Commitment to Integrity in Giving
Emergency Medicine Symposium is an Australian-registered business committed to ethical giving and sustainable impact. We proudly act as a public donor to carefully selected Australian-registered charities that are independently governed and fully accountable to the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).
While we passionately support their missions, Emergency Medicine Symposium does not participate in the administration, governance, or day-to-day operations of our charity partners. Our role is to connect purpose with possibility—ensuring that the funds raised through our events go directly to the organisations equipped to create lasting, community-led change.
We hold ourselves to the highest standards of transparency and integrity, and we thank our delegates for walking alongside us—not only in learning, but in lifting lives.